Suspects in Taylor County theft ring in court

MEDFORD (WAOW) - A 25-year-old Delavan man accused of stealing several pieces of heavy equipment, including a 2014 Caterpillar skid steer worth $70,000, made his first court appearance Tuesday and was ordered to return July 14 for prosecutors to present evidence against him.

A GPS system on the skid steerhelped investigators find it in a Taylor County barn and uncover a theft ring, leading to charges against Christopher Steig and Edward Peterson, 32, of Medford, the owner of the barn, according to criminal complaints.

Steig is charged with five felony counts of being party to receiving stolen property and two misdemeanor counts of being party to receiving stolen property.

Peterson is charged with eight felony counts of being party to receiving stolen property and six other misdemeanors. He also had an initial appearance in Taylor County Circuit Court on Tuesday. It was continued until July 29 so he could obtain an attorney, online court records said.

Other equipment stolen included a 16-foot hydraulic dump trailer, a Case 430 skid steer, a jackhammer, a 10-foot snow plow skid steer and an electric generator, the complaint said.

The equipment was stolen from various farms and construction sites in Wisconsin last fall and this spring, the complaint said.

The 2014 Caterpillar was stolen from a site in Boscobel.

Steig told investigators that he stole the equipment for Peterson and was paid for some of it, a complaint said.